


Help Me Hold Onto You

by Signsofsam



Series: I Hate Accidents (Except When We Went From Friends To This) [8]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic, Drabble, Eddie's Abuela - Freeform, Family Dinner, Family Feels, Gen, M/M, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Slice of Life, idek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23605033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signsofsam/pseuds/Signsofsam
Summary: Isabel Diaz is happy for her grandson.She’d been so worried when Shannon left and Eddie first moved out to LA with Chris. She worried that it would be too much for him. Being a single parent was hard, much less a single father to a special needs child, and throw in a new town where he barely knew anyone, dealing with the VA and child care paperwork...she was worried he would stumble, and she wouldn’t be strong enough to catch him. And then Shannon died, and the ladder truck happened, and the tsunami, and all she could do was stand by as the strain grew and grew and grew, and be ready to help him in any way she could, be ready to remind him that he had Chris as the shining light in the darkness, Chris, and Pepa, and her, all there.But turns out, she didn’t need to worry, because he also had Evan Buckley.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Isabel Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: I Hate Accidents (Except When We Went From Friends To This) [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584202
Comments: 19
Kudos: 511
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	Help Me Hold Onto You

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was almost called Haters Gonna Hate (Shake It Off), but alas, it's not. And it's not really even the family dinner! fic I was trying to write, but my plans for that seem to just form in my head and never make it to page.
> 
> Title is from _The Archer_ by Taylor Swift.

Isabel Diaz is happy for her grandson.

She’d been so worried when Shannon left and Eddie first moved out to LA with Chris. She worried that it would be too much for him. Being a single parent was hard, much less a single father to a special needs child, and throw in a new town where he barely knew anyone, dealing with the VA and child care paperwork...she was worried he would stumble, and she wouldn’t be strong enough to catch him. And then Shannon died, and the ladder truck happened, and the tsunami, and all she could do was stand by as the strain grew and grew and grew, and be ready to help him in any way she could, be ready to remind him that he had Chris as the shining light in the darkness, Chris, and Pepa, and her, all there.

But turns out, she didn’t need to, because he also had Evan. In the beginning, she only knew the tall young man as his best friend, with the bright blue eyes and the beaming smile and sunny personality, with his unfaltering manners and his want to do nothing but be helpful, but to Eddie, he’d somehow become something more. Her grandson had been so nervous when he told her about his best friend, about the feelings he had, the kiss they’d shared, glancing at her every so often, hands squeezed tight around his coffee mug.

“Edmundo-” she’d murmured after his confession, before the silence got too heavy, and he’d jumped, eyes widening.

“ _Lo siento_ , Abuela,” he’d whispered, his voice hoarse. “I know...I know this isn’t….it’s not what you want for me-”

She’d silenced him with a hand on either side of his face, moving it until he was looking at her, truly seeing her, and she shook her head, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead. “ _Mi chico_ , all I ever want is for you to be happy. To find someone who makes you smile, who makes you feel wanted and loved, and if that is Buck, then it’s Buck.”

Eddie’s smile after she finished was blinding, the one she saw so very rarely in those days. “Thank you, Abuela. You know how much I love you and how much I...your approval means the world to me.”

“You love who you love, Edmundo. I would never stand in the way of your happiness.” She’d patted his hand as she stood, feeling like their talk was done. “But I expect you to bring him to the next Family Dinner.”

And now, nearly a year and a half later, here they were, their Family Dinner expanded to include Buck’s sister and her boyfriend and their other friends at the firehouse to celebrate Eddie and Evan’s engagement, and Isabel Diaz is so incredibly happy for her grandson.

_Grandsons_ , she corrects herself gently, because she doesn’t think she can call Evan anything but her grandson, too. He’s been there for her so many times, coming when she needs someone to help with groceries, get her medication, take her to appointments-he’s done it all for her, no questions asked or complaints given, just like Eddie, because they’re family now, even without the wedding. He’s listed in her emergency contacts, he drops Christopher off and picks him up and stays for dinner when she cajoles him, so...grandsons.

She looks around the crowded house, everyone chattering away, Christopher with Hen’s children and Bobby’s stepchildren, Eddie amongst his parents and sisters and a few of his coworkers, and Evan…

Evan is nowhere to be seen.

She scans the room, the kitchen, but Buck isn’t there, and then she looks out the doors leading to the backyard, and she sees him sitting at their small table outside, turned away from the house, phone against his ear. She can tell that he’s dejected by the stiffness of his shoulders, and then she looks to Eddie, watching his fiancé with concern, and she makes a decision, crossing the room and slipping out the doors quietly.

“Dad, I-” Evan’s strained voice is tight, like he’s trying to keep himself contained, and she can hear the sharpness of the response, though she can’t hear the words, and Evan slumps lower in the seat. “Dad, please. I love him, and I-”

Whatever his father says in response makes Evan sigh. “If I disgust you that much, then don’t come. I don’t need your approval to marry Eddie; I love him, and I’m gonna do it whether you guys show or not. And if it’s not...so be it.”

He hangs up the phone then, placing it screen down on the table, leaning his elbows against his knees, head in his hands, fingers curling tightly through his hair. There’s a sob, a harsh, keening noise that she never wants to hear from Evan, and she can’t just stand there anymore. 

He startles when she comes around him, shocked someone is out with him, stumbling to try and get up, but she shakes her head, reaching forward to cup his cheek. “I am very proud that you’re going to be part of our family, Evanito,” she murmurs, “and anyone who can’t see how happy you and Edmundo make each other doesn’t matter enough to make you cry. They aren’t the important ones. The family you’ve made here, for yourself? they are proud of you. They see you and they support you- _we_ support you.”

“Ms. Diaz-”

“Abuela, Evan. I’ve told you to call me Abuela how many times now? My grandson should call me Abuela.” 

“I’m not….”

“I am an old woman, _mi amor_. I see the way you look at Eddie, and the way he looks at you-and that’s never going away. You’re it for him, and he’s it for you. You are going to be a permanent member of my family, my newest grandson. And my grandchildren call me Abuela.”

Buck finds himself nodding, because who can argue with the force that is Isabel Diaz? “I’m glad Eddie has you. You and Ramon and Helene and…everyone supports us. They don’t care that we’re both men. My father cares about that. He’s...he’s not a very good father, but I thought he’d at least be happy, you know? I’m getting married.” He scoffs, shaking his head. “I guess I thought wrong.”

“Well, you can’t change stupid, love. And it’s not just Eddie; I’m here for you too. Always. Mostly because you like my tamales best over Pepa’s, and I appreciate such loyalty.” 

Buck barks out a laugh, and just like that, his bright smile returns, and he stands, pulling her into a tight hug. “ _Gracias_ , Abuela.” His accent is atrocious, and she knows that she’ll tease him mercilessly about it in the days and weeks to come, but for now, she simply squeezes him back tightly, showering him with all her love and affection, because that’s what grandmothers do.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it's not too atrocious, because idek. I'm getting some major writing block, and really feeling like everything I write is crap at the moment. Can I call it social distancing blues, even though I'm perfectly fine with the social distancing part?
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and I appreciate all the comments and kudos! I also hope everyone is staying safe, and I'll see you next time.


End file.
